Baltimore boxing champion Gervonta "Tank" Davis says he will retire next year

BALTIMORE - Baltimore boxer Gervonta Davis plans to hang up his gloves at the end of next year and seek therapy, according to our media partner at The Baltimore Banner.

Davis spoke about his impending retirement at a press conference on Tuesday to promote his WBA lightweight championship bout against Lamont Roach in March.

"After next year, I'm out of it," Davis said. "Yeah, out of this sport."

Davis elaborated to Yahoo! Sports on why he planned to retire.

"This #$%@ is trash, garbage," Davis said, according to Yahoo! Sports. "Fed up. I'm fed up with the whole #$%#. … I just want to be able to make money and stay out the way, that's it. I want to be living without being seen."

According to the Baltimore Banner, Davis told Inside Boxing Live he felt he needed to step away from boxing for the good of his family.

"That's why I don't want to box no more," Davis said. "I want to do therapy, right? But I feel as though, if I do therapy, it would lose the fire that I have inside of me. I want everything out of me where so I don't never think about fighting again, I don't think about even getting angry. Because I have two girls, two daughters. I want to be much softer, be more humble and things like that."

Davis grew up in Baltimore's Sandtown-Winchester neighborhood.

"Tank" Davis to defend title against Lamont Roach

Davis, the WBA lightweight champion will face super featherweight champion Lamont Roach on March 1 at Barclays Center, where he won his first belt.

Davis predicted Tuesday he will knock out his former amateur rival from the Baltimore-Washington area.

"I like to show people that they aren't who they say they are," Davis said. "I like to prove it to the people they come with. My first time winning the title, the whole building doubted me."

Davis (30-0, 28 KOs) will be fighting for the first time since knocking out Frank Martin in June. He has stopped his last four opponents, a streak that began with his sixth-round KO of Rolando Romero on May 28, 2022, his last fight in Brooklyn.

He won his first title at 130 pounds with his victory over Jose Pedraza in 2017. Davis went on to win titles at 135 and 140 pounds.

Roach (25-1-1, 10 KOs) began his pro career at lightweight before moving down to 130 pounds to win a belt. He now moves back up in hopes of adding another.

"This is a hell of an opportunity and we're gonna conquer it," he said. "Everyone knows what I'm coming to do. And if you don't, you'll be surprised. I'm gonna show you what happens when two dogs go in the ring together."

The Associated Press contributed to this story